Choosing Mercy Over Judgment

Scripture – James 2:8-13: ⁸If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. ⁹But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. ¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. ¹²Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, ¹³because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) “Mercy triumphs over judgment!” There’s a message in that for me – and for the church. I’m just not sure how to put it into practical words. It’s so easy to look at people outside the church who are living destructive life-styles and judge them rather than love them. Yet Jesus was open to all the so-called “sinners” of His day. His judgment was reserved for the religious folks.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) Although I’m not sure how to do this, I’ll be open to the people I encounter. I will welcome them into my life with mercy. I’ll leave any judgment up to God.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, I’m not sure how this works. Aren’t there some behaviors that just should not be in the church? I guess a deeper question is, what does it mean to be “in the church?” People can be part of the community without being “official” members. Lord, please cut through my confusion and teach me how to love people, and help them come to know you. I trust you to take care of the details of how they live.